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Sega presents its argument for the renaming of the Xbox 360 "Games on Demand" service today (to something like "Here are Some Games,") with the release of Sonic Free Riders. We don't know who's been demanding immediate, at-home access to Sega's Kinect-only mascot hoverboard racer, but if you're part of that invisible contingent, here you go. It costs $50.

Okay, so it may not be the most desirable title, but Sonic Free Riders is actually one of just two Kinect titles on Games on Demand. Or the only one, depending on how you'd categorize Your Shape: Fitness Evolved.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>games-on-demandkinectmicrosoftsegasonic-free-ridersxblmxboxWed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/22/sonic-free-riders-demo-now-available-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/22/sonic-free-riders-demo-now-available-on-xbox-live/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/22/sonic-free-riders-demo-now-available-on-xbox-live/#comments
If you've got a deep well of love for your Kinect, but a shallow reservoir of software for your Kinect, you can add a little something-something to the pile at no charge. If you're an Xbox Live Gold subscriber, you can now download a demo for Sonic Free Riders from the Marketplace.

Then again, based on meta-criticism that's called out the game's apparent unresponsiveness, just about anything could serve as a demo for Sonic Free Riders. Flail your arms while watching your daytime soap operas, for example -- that should deliver roughly the same interactive experience.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demokinectmicrosoftsegasonic-free-ridersxblmxboxxbox-liveMon, 22 Nov 2010 19:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/04/sonic-free-riders-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/04/sonic-free-riders-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/11/04/sonic-free-riders-review/#comments
On paper, Sonic Free Riders probably sounded pretty cool. Actually, on second thought, it probably sounded like a cheap and easy way to make a Kinect launch game. I can see the instructions to the developer: "Hey guys, you know that third game in the universally panned SonicRiders series that we shelved a few years back? Well, take it, make it work with Kinect just well enough to get past Microsoft, and get it out the door by November 4th. But don't, and we can't stress this enough, put any work into making it worthwhile."

Or at least that's what one would imagine transpired after devoting, as I did, entirely too much time to this mind-numbing mess of a game.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kinectmicrosoftracingsegasonic-free-riderssonic-teamxboxThu, 04 Nov 2010 09:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/23/this-japanese-sonic-free-riders-ad-is-infinitely-better-than-our/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/23/this-japanese-sonic-free-riders-ad-is-infinitely-better-than-our/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/23/this-japanese-sonic-free-riders-ad-is-infinitely-better-than-our/#comments
Not only does this Sonic Free Riders trailer make the game look more enjoyable and less ... back-breaking than the title's recent U.S. advertisement, it's also indicative of how much better Japan's commercials are than ours. "Have more fun," you say? Don't mind if we do.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japankinectmicrosoftsegasonic-free-ridersxboxSat, 23 Oct 2010 15:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/21/sonic-free-riders-trailer-requires-extreme-flexibility/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/21/sonic-free-riders-trailer-requires-extreme-flexibility/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/21/sonic-free-riders-trailer-requires-extreme-flexibility/#comments
Okay, we think we understand most of the motion-sensing controls demoed in the Sonic Free Riders trailer posted below, but -- man, are we going to have to bend our backs that far in order to adequately hover-race? We're not sure we ... hold on, we'll try. (oh god doctor call a doctor)

When you get your shiny new Kinect, what games will you get with it? Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has provided a handy guide to the full Kinect launch lineup -- including launch day games and those arriving soon after. If you wagered there would be four sports minigame collections (Kinect Sports, Deca Sports Freedom, Game Party In Motion and MotionSports), you win!

The seventeen-game lineup also includes three dancing games (Dance Central, Zumba Fitness, and DanceMasters), four exercise games (Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout, EA Sports Active 2.0, and the aforementioned Zumba Fitness), and two 'boarding games (Adrenalin Misfits and Sonic Free Riders). See the full list after the break.

Major Nelson notes that the Xbox 360 launched in North America with 18 games, just one more than Kinect is launching with -- bearing out Shane Kim's comment that Microsoft would treat the Kinect launch like a new system. Or, it would, if this list didn't count the Kinect games coming out weeks after the Kinect release date as "launch games" vs. the 360's 18-game launch day. In any case, the Kinect has a lot of choices, even if they're all within a few categories.

There are stories emanating from the mysterious coalition known simply as "Europe" that Sega -- responsible for some of your dearest childhood memories and, maybe, your first heartbreak -- is busy "delisting" less-than-stellar Sonic the Hedgehog titles from European retailers. Jurgen Post, Sega SVP of EMEA (that's Europe, the Middle East and Africa), told MCV, "Any Sonic game with an average Metacritic has been de-listed," continuing, "We have to do this and increase the value of the brand. This will be very important when more big Sonic releases arrive in the future."

While that certainly sounds ominous, we asked Alan Pritchard - newly instated veep of sales and marketing for Sega US and the man who held Mr. Post's spot until just a couple month's ago - to clarify what it means for Europe, for Sonic and (jingoism be damned!) for North America.

"I think perhaps Jurgen's comments have somewhat been taken out of context," Pritchard told Joystiq. "It's not quite as drastic as what Disney do for example. They bring out Lion King and all of a sudden there's a cut-off date, and you can't buy Lion King for another six months. It's not quite as drastic as turning the tap off completely. We want consumers and retailers to defocus from the back catalog, the older titles and focus more on the new-release titles."

Sega announced the release date for its Kinect-exclusive animal snowboarding game Sonic Free Riders: November 4, the same day that the Kinect device launches in North America. That's right, you'll be able to use your body as a controller to make Sonic fall down a mountain on day one.

"Kinect's unique motion sensor means Sonic Free Riders will see family and friends controlling their favorite Sonic characters and their fully customizable hover boards or bikes," Sega's announcement notes, "by twisting, turning and jumping in an exhilarating race to be the first to cross the finish line!" It will see you, and it will judge you.

Sega seems to think that if you're underwhelmed by the use of Kinect in Sonic Free Riders (as seen at E3), you shouldn't give up hope yet. The publisher has had less than a year to work on these new motion-controlled titles, Sega's Mike Hayes told CVG, and hopes to improve efforts as the Kinect dev kits mature. "We've got one good idea and hopefully something will be out the back end of next year, perhaps early 2012, which we think will use the aspects of Kinect a lot more originally and in a more sophisticated way," he said.

What won't we see from Sega in the near future? XBLA and PSN ports of Saturn games, Hayes said. "No," he admitted plainly, "we're going to focus on Dreamcast; there's a significant catalogue there. Once we're done with that we'll see." Sega's Yosuke Okunari made a similar point recently -- in putting the emphasis on the Dreamcast lineup first -- though expressed a more optimistic viewpoint when he said Sega was already "thinking" about Saturn ports.

Update: EA just sent a press release with a suggest MSRP for EA Sports Active 2: $99.95. It's currently in development at EA Canada in Vancouver.

Sonic Free Riders has been officially announced as one of the fifteen launch games for Xbox Kinect. Of course, you knew about this thanks to the Joystiq Superspy[TM]. Gameplay wasn't shown at Microsoft's E3 press conference, but if it's a launch game, it's bound to be playable on the E3 show floor, right?

In addition to Sonic Free Riders, other launch games announced for Kinect include EA Sports Active 2.0 and a game based on The Biggest Loser.

On Sunday, June 13, Microsoft will host its Project Natal event -- you know, the gala event with Cirque du Soleil? We're betting we'll get details on launch price and date for Project Natal (not to mention its real name) there, but ahead of that event we've got some interesting news on an upcoming Natal title, care of our Joystiq Superspy[TM].

We're told that Sega is preparing an Xbox Live Arcade game for Project Natal, titled Sonic Free Riders. As you may have guessed, it's a motion-compatible entry in Sega's racing series. Players will supposedly steer an on-screen avatar via bodily movement, and will acquire weapons by reaching out toward the screen, and attack other racers by motioning towards them.

It all sounds very intuitive, but will it be fun? We'll let you know in a few weeks when we touch down in L.A. for E3 2010.